I have been documenting Soviet mosaics in Georgia for past several months. These interesting pieces of work are disappearing due to various reasons – the glass pieces fall apart, buildings are demolished, etc. However I think their importance as a depiction of Soviet history and architecture is huge and they should be documented and preserved if possible.

Most of these mosaics are from Tbilisi – the capital of Georgia but some of them are from other parts of the country as well. Buildings with these artworks range from a bottle opener factory to bus stations and local tourist sights.

According to various local architects most of the Georgian mosaics are made from glass pieces that were usually brought from Moscow to brighten up public spaces. In past mosaics were associated with religion – temples and spiritual sights had colorful walls that were depicting either humans or phenomenons, however in USSR religion was not the main theme.

In 1930’s mosaics became one of the key elements of the Moscow subway system and soon after they became a symbol of Soviet art.

Images on these mosaics range from astronauts and workers to famous Georgian writers or even some abstract shapes.

So here they are:

Click on images to view them in a larger format.

1. Laguna Vere – the biggest outdoor pool of Tbilisi that supports various types of swimming sports including water polo, now closed.(more…)

Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia has become a Transcaucasian hub in the 19th century. During this time a lot of social, political, economic and cultural changes took place. The oriental Tbilisi became a mix of the West and the East and the center of South Caucasus.

Capitalism was rapidly developing in the Russian Empire and so it was in Georgia (The country was annexed by the Russian Empire). New industrial enterprises appeared, a railway connecting Tbilisi and Poti was built. Banks were founded, workshops, department stores and exhibition halls were built. During this time new magazines, newspapers, science and art centers and societies came to life. Art exhibitions were held, the national theater was reborn. All of these establishments needed advertisement to reach out to public. So here they are – 29 examples of 20th Century Georgian Advertising. All of the images are taken from the book Old Tbilisi published in 1984 by “Sabchota Sakartvelo” Publishing House.

I just stumbled upon at these interesting photos of Soviet Tbilisi ranging from 1950’s to the end of 1980’s. These images feature some buildings and monuments that are not there anymore or have been changed. I will write another post about that later. In the meantime take a look at ‘greener’ Tbilisi.

მოხეტიალე წიგნები (Strolling Books) – A Facebook page has been set up in Georgia to give out books for free. The idea went viral and in three days the page got almost 30,000 likes.

According to the page, any person may leave a book at public place, add a message a date and a place. The next person who’ll find and read the book should also add a date and place when and where found; later leave it at a park, in a cafe or somewhere else. The books are about everything and for everybody.

It has been snowing in Tbilisi, Georgia for two days already. The temperature is unusually low, according to Accuweather the cold will hit -12c tonight. Here’s what Tbilisi’s own Lisi Lake looked like today.

Thursday, September 20, 2012 – Thousands of Georgians took it to the streets of Tbilisi over prison rape and abuse videos. On the third day of demonstrations, protesters gathered in front of the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office where they demanded resignation of Interior Minister Bacho Akhalia and other officials involved in atrocities. Later demonstrators moved to a prison hospital, where they were greeted by inmates waving napkins from the hospital windows. After an hour of protest students marched towards the presidential palace. Interior Minister Bacho Akhalia has resigned, however students will continue their protest on Day 4. Here are some photos from today: